Everything was okay
by Rosa Clearwater
Summary: "Yes, we could have. But it wouldn't have been your decision alone." But it still would have been on him.


A/N: So my first BSG fic that I was inspired to publish. So proud :D Don't anything familiar. And this is spoilers for 'You Can't Go Home Again'.

He could it in the Old Man's eyes. This fear that those eyes behind the stoic expression, the fear of losing another person who could be considered closer than Zak. At first, Colonel Tigh thought it was only frakkin Lee who was losing his judgment on the situation because Starbuck and him were friends. But soon he noticed that the hints that the Old Man was also too attached to leave her behind. But they wouldn't really have a choice if the frakkin Cylons came, now would they?

The timer for Starbuck's oxygen was under a minute, and Tigh could see Gaeta coming over to report to Adama. He could hear bits of their conversation from his distance.

"You have your orders." Bill finally said, and Gaeta walked away irritation showing in his eyes. Making his way over, Tigh turned to Bill curious to his reaction.

"Time's up. She's out of O2." He stated simply. But Bill wouldn't give up. Saul could see the stubbornness that clouded Bill's judgment right now, and he wished that this problem could just resolve itself.

"The clock is a guess. We don't know for a fact Starbuck's out of air." He responded. Now it was time for Saul to force him to look at the facts before this got worse.

"Her tank only holds so much oxygen." _You need to give up Bill_.

"She could have an extra reserve supply, in her survival gear."

"Reserve?" _Are you out of your frakkin mind?_

"Yes." Now this had gone too far.

"What? She just happen to pack an extra bottle today?"

"It's possible."

"We are putting people at risk. We have pilots-"

"We are not quitting." The calm tone broke, and Bill's eyes stared directly at his XO.

"… Pushing themselves and their ships too hard all for the sake of-" Once again he was cut off.

"We are not quitting and you are relieved, Colonel." Colonel Tigh mentally scoffed, before straightening his back and saluting. The Old Man saluted back, and he began to speak again.

"I stand relieve, sir." And then he turned himself, formulating a plan to stop this frakking madness as he left CIC. He would to bring in President Roslin.

They began walking down the halls of the Galactica. For a few moments, they simply walked in silence. But then Saul had to ask.

"Are you going to order us to stop the search?" They turned the corner, and he could hear the mental scoff.

"I came here to talk, not to give orders."

"It may take an order." He said, and she turned to him.

"Why?" She asked sharply. He paused and she continued her miniature interrogation "Colonel Tigh, do I need to know something?" He turned to her, concern showing in his expression and his voice.

"It's gone beyond military needs. It's personal, for the Commander and for Lee too."

"Because of Lieutenant Thrace." She stated

"Because of her, and because of Zak Adama."

"The Commander's dead son."

"It's complicated. Take about three weeks to explain." He said, brushing that matter aside.

"We got about three minutes, talk fast." She ordered, and he began to explain everything.

They were back in the CIC. And Saul could see the pain that this would cause Adama, and he didn't like it, but they had no choice.

"Execute jump, Lieutenant Gaeta."

"Aye sir. Jump clock is running. Navigation?"

"Go"

"FTL?"

"Go"

"Tactical?"

"Go"

"Flight Ops?" But before Gaeta could go any further, the familiar sound of unknown contact could be heard on the Dradis.

"Contact! Dradis contact. Incoming, bearing 060, carom 308." Dee said, as Adama turned to her.

"Hold count." Bill's voice rang in the CIC.

"Count held." Gaeta automatically responded.

"Contact is…" Everyone was waiting for the answer as Dualla checked it over. "Cylon Raider, sir." She said, raising her head to look at him.

"You were right." Bill admitted to Saul. "It's just a matter of time."

"He's on an intercept course, he'll be on us before we can complete the jump, sir."

"Action stations, launch Vipers." Saul immediately relayed Bill's orders throughout the ship.

"Gun captains report weapons manned and ready." Gaeta's voice rang through the CIC.

"Where the hell are the Vipers?" Saul asked irritated.

"Most are being fuelled." Dee responded. "Hot Dog and Apollo are in the tubes."

"Why only one Cylon this time?" Laura asked the questioning everyone wanted to know.

"It could be a lone recon mission." Saul answered. "Or the vanguard for a Cylon base ship about to jump right on top of us."

"Either way, we're going to have to take it out before we can jump."

"Galactica, Apollo. Target in sight." Lee's voice could be heard as he began shooting at the 'Cylon'. They could see on Dradis that no shot Lee was taking could actually hit the Raider.

"They're closing fast. Port guns have a firing solution."

"Very well."

"Galactica, I repeat, he is nowhere to be seen." Something was wrong, something was off about the entire situation Saul thought to himself.

"Dradis."

"No help. Their reports have merged."

"Launch tube status?"

"Still fouled. We'll have a Viper away in forty five seconds."

"This will be over in 45 seconds."

"Holy…" Lee's voice seemed like whatever it was he saw couldn't be real. "Galactica, the Cylon is now flying in formation with me, right above my head." Which seemed impossible. "This thing is acting weird." _Really Apollo?_ Saul rhetorically asked in his head.

"Put me through." Adama commanded. Suddenly, maniacal laughter disbelieving laughter rang in the CIC.

"It's Starbuck!" Lee yelled, and everyone froze. But no one seemed more disbelieving than Adama.

"What?" He asked, incredulously refusing to believe that somehow she had made it. Tigh could only stare with slight sympathy as he saw that if this was a trap, a trick of some sort, it would mentally destroy the Old Man.

"Come again, Apollo?"

"Uh, Galactica the Cylon Raider is marked 'Starbuck'.It's written under the frakking wing." Everyone except for Tigh and the Old Man let out a cheer or a roar of happiness and a roaring applause could be heard. But Tigh could only stare at the Dradis blankly, still thinking it was some sort of trap. And Adama was under the same impression, not daring to hope or to believe it could be true.

"Bring it into the bay! If it does anything, take it out."

"Will do Galactica, but I'm telling you it has got to be her. This thing is flying with some major attitude."

They sat in Adama's office, discussing plans on how to reserve fuel. That is, Colonel Tigh and Commander Adama were discussing. It had been an hour or two after Starbuck's return, but Saul could tell that Bill was focused on that incident. A silence entered the room, and the two men looked at each other. The euphoria and happiness had left the situation, as the harsh reality made itself clear.

"We could have left her behind." Bill muttered, his face completely unreadable but Saul could hear a hint of fear. "And it would have been on_ me_." He said, looking directly at his XO. And Saul was trying to figure out the best way to approach this topic, and found bluntness would be best.

"Yes, we could have. But it wouldn't have been your decision alone." They all pressurized him to almost leave her behind. They had been so close to being gone, and Saul knew how much it would have hurt. But they didn't. And everything was okay.

_Don't ask what inspired me to write this in the middle of the night, I haven't wrriten in ages and my muse wouldn't leave me alone after watching that episode x)_


End file.
